Sport

Young on the verge of securing a world title shot

KELVIN Young is on the verge of a world title shot after the new IBO super-middleweight champion Donovan George verbally agreed to the fight.

The Penhill pugilist was at ringside as George claimed the crown at the US Cellular Fields on Saturday night in a unanimous points success over Dyah Davis.

Now it looks like Young, who is the IBO inter-continental champion, will get his chance to face George next.

Speaking to the Advertiser from Chicago, Young said that, while his has made a life-time friend in George, is looking forward to getting his shot at the title.

“I’m buzzing,” Young said. “It has been an absolutely amazing trip and it is going to be an absolute dream to fight for the title.

“We were told before the fight on Saturday that it could happen and Don is a man of his word, now it is down to everybody else to get it sorted.”

Although Young may have to travel to the States to take on 29-year-old, the Swindon star’s trainer Richard Farnan said that it could also happen in England.

“They told us that they are more than happy to come to England for the fight,” Farnan told the Advertiser. “The fight on Saturday was in front of 7,000 at the Cellular Fields – Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Frazer, Jake La Motta have all boxed there.

“But they don’t make the money, so they are happy to come to England, we would need to get the TV involved.

“So we’ll leave it in Keith’s (Mayo, Young’s manager and promoter) hands now. He has got the contacts and the skill set to get it done.”

Farnan and Young both said that they would not have got as close to the title opportunity had they not made the journey across the pond.

“We have made some great contacts out here,” Farnan said. “We met John Daddano, he helped found the IBO, and he is a really good guy.

“He said that he is looking forward to seeing Kelv fight Don.

“And there is Don and his people, they are such nice people, they have treated us really well out here.

“After the fight Don invited us back to his dressing room and then to the private party in his hotel.

“We have become good friends, they’ve said that we’ll put the friendship aside for the fight and then hug afterwards.”

Although a date and venue is yet to be set, Farnan said should the title shot not happen before the end of the year then Young is likely to have a fight in November.

“Right now they (George and his team) are going to enjoy winning the belt, then over the next week talks will start,” Farnan added. “If we hadn’t had come out here then we wouldn’t have got anywhere near the title.”